WHO GETS TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE? (Part 1)

 

In the animal kingdom, many species are very social – that is, they need companionship and are highly dependent on others within their species.  But it is even more so with mankind.  People need each other and in order to thrive, we must be able to communicate well with each other. 

Man has developed many ways to communicate with his fellow man and it is important that we can accurately understand each other.  Some communication needs are merely useful, while others are critical.  And I would say that when it comes to reading and interpreting Scripture, this is certainly of the highest order, because we should want everyone to benefit from the Bible and to make it into Heaven. 

The Bible is widely recognized as God’s Word to mankind (Mark 7:13; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Ephesians 6:17; Colossians 1:25), and it is of great importance to know what God’s message to us is.  The problem is that not everyone agrees with each other on how to interpret the things God is telling us.  So, the big question is: who gets to interpret the Bible – who has the authority to do so – and what do we do when there are disagreements on important issues?

Problem Solved?

So, again, who is it that can authoritatively interpret Bible verses?

The Catholic Church “solves” this problem by declaring itself the “official” source for Scripture interpretation for the whole church.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the [Catholic] Church alone…” (CCC #85)

And again:

“The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the [Catholic] Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him.” (CCC #100)

So, according to the Catholic Church, not only do we need them to interpret, but they are the ONLY ones to be trusted to do the job “authentically”!  Apparently, they have a corner on the “Bible interpretation market.”  Practically speaking, this would be a “spiritual monopoly.”

So, apparently, if Protestants, Orthodox, or anyone else claiming to be Christian disagrees concerning an interpretation of some Scripture passage, they must submit to the leaders/Magisterium of the Catholic Church for the correct interpretation.  Only they have the authority to infallibly interpret!

Authority to Interpret?

For the record, in those very same Scriptures, we find no such thing as “authority to interpret.” The truth is that there is no “special authority” needed when interpreting Scripture.  Asking who has that authority is like asking, “Who has the authority to obey the Commandments?”  But we don’t need “authority” for that because we are expected to obey them.  In the same way, we are commanded to interpret God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15).  Will everyone do it perfectly?  No, but we are expected to do it to the best of our ability/understanding.  Much of Scripture is easily understood, but for those things that challenge our understanding, we must go deeper into Scripture, as Jesus did when the devil quoted Scripture to Him (Matthew 4:5-7).  Jesus simply said, “It is written again…”

Furthermore, the Bible never tells us that there is a person or group in the post-apostolic church who can teach anything infallibly, as they claim.

The Scourge of Division

It seems that the top reason Catholics say that we need an infallible interpreter is because of all the DIVISIONS they see in Protestantism.  And they feel that this Magisterium is the key to bring about unity.  But it is absolutely inevitable that divisions will come, no matter which group you believe in, because we are human, and we are fallible. 

But which is worse: 1) blindly submitting to a supposedly infallible source, whose popes tend to have an unhealthy desire for “unity at any cost” and whose members embrace a church plagued with unbiblical and false doctrines, OR 2) being part of a fallible group of believers who diligently study the Word and who try hard to make a reasonable interpretation of what Scripture says, and who observe context, use common sense, recognize the fact that Scripture is consistent with itself, and place Scripture above all other teachings, testing all things by it (1 Thessalonians 5:21)? 

Now, I am not saying that Catholics have none of the latter traits mentioned, but I am saying that they tend toward the former.  So yes, we should not be afraid to question our own church leaders and church teachings, whether Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox.

And since we are commanded to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) and to “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21), how can a Catholic possibly do these things if he is forced by that Church to never let his understanding of Scripture contradict the Church’s teaching?  A Catholic may say, “But the Church is infallible, so we don’t need to test or doubt it.”  But this is purely circular reasoning.  You had to use your fallible understanding to come to that conclusion.  But the Bible, unlike the Catholic Church, has proven itself!  The Magisterium has not proven itself to be infallible, and we have no biblical reason to believe it is.

But divisions are indeed an issue.  Catholics complain about Protestant divisions, but there are also plenty divisions in the Catholic Church, as well, e.g., there is a “Pre-Vatican” view (traditionalists), “Post-Vatican” view, “Feminist,” “Progressive,” “Liberal,” etc., etc.  Many of these are fighting with each other on-line, even about “infallible” doctrines!

So, if divisions are a problem for Protestants, they are also a problem for Catholics!  But these cannot be avoided.  All human groups have at least some divisions, unless they are a mindless cult!

It is interesting that the apostle Paul, himself, said that certain divisions are sometimes actually necessary in the body (1 Corinthians 11:17-19), so that those who are of approved character may be clearly recognized.  

Paul is not endorsing divisions here, but he acknowledges that divisions are a reality in the church of Christ, sometimes permitted by God in order to reveal those who are genuine believers and those who are not.  These factions serve to encourage practical discernment between true and false teachings, exposing hypocrisy and encouraging those that are faithful.

So, would an infallible Magisterium stop divisions from happening?   No, it wouldn’t, even if such an infallible Magisterium did exist! 

We will continue with Part 2 next time…

 

CATHOLICISM AND MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY

Today’s article will be different.  It will be about my personal experience with the Catholic Church and its teachings.  Anyone who has read this blog knows that I am not a Catholic and that I disagree strongly with the Catholic Church on many issues, although there are some things they teach with which we can agree.  For the record, I did not leave the Catholic Church for personal reasons.  I was not berated by a bishop.  I was not molested by a priest.  I did not leave the Catholic Church because I wanted to shack up and live guilt-free with my girlfriend, or because I found its views on contraception too strict.  And it wasn’t because Catholics are mean people.  In fact, I live in an area with a high concentration of Catholics and many of them are great people and wonderful neighbors.

 

No, I left the Catholic Church for doctrinal reasons.  I strongly disagree with many of its teachings which I believe are not biblical.

My Childhood

I was raised on a farm and was one of six siblings and, for the most part, had a great childhood.  We were raised Catholic, although we were not devout.  We very seldom went to church except for weddings and funerals.  My dad didn’t see attending church as a necessity, although he certainly taught us right from wrong.  My mom was the one who taught us our prayers and helped us through First Communion, Confirmation, etc. 

Even though I was hardly ever in church in my younger years, I was somewhat tender toward the things of God.  I really did want to go to church, but just didn’t get much opportunity to do so as a child.

I vividly remember one day speaking with my oldest brother about how old some people get.  He said, “Yeah, some people grew to be 500 years old and even older.  It’s in the Bible.”  I thought, “Wow, that’s amazing!  But it must be true if it’s in the Bible.”  Now, I didn’t think this because we were Sola Scriptura (“Bible only”) believers.  In fact, we didn’t even have a Bible at home (that I was aware of) and I knew almost nothing about the Bible, but somewhere down the line, I became aware that it was God’s Word and it needed to be taken seriously.  From that moment, I had a greater respect for the Bible and I will ever be grateful to my brother for sharing that information with me that day.

 

The Skunk

As the years went by, I started attending catechism at my small-town elementary school.  Almost everyone in that school was Catholic and I remember how most of the students knew a lot more about their catechism than I did, since they attended church every week. 

Anyway, as a side note, there was kind of a funny thing that happened one day.  As I said, it was a small school in a small town and we would sometimes walk from the school to the Catholic Church a few blocks away to attend catechism there.  On one of these trips, a group of us were walking back to the school after catechism class and we found a dead skunk in the middle of the street.  As we surrounded it, one of my good friends, Greg, somehow managed to toss it on me.  I don’t remember how it happened, but it certainly did and the evidence was there!  When we got back to school a few minutes later, the teacher immediately smelled it and scolded Greg for his mischievous deed.  We still laugh about it today.

Trouble on the rise… 

As a kid, I very seldom got in trouble.  I was basically a good person in everyone’s eyes, a “goody-two-shoes,” if you will.  But the sinful nature of Adam in me prevailed and I grew tired of this image.  I remember walking down my gravel road one day as I decided I was going to do something bad.  I wasn’t even sure what I was going to do yet, but I really wanted to break out of this “good guy” mold.  At that moment, all I can describe is that something definitely changed.  Something seemed to “click” in my mind.  My heart was set to do evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

 

Because of this, a series of personal events occurred and things quickly went south.  It was almost as though God was saying to me, “Oh, so you want to be a tough guy, huh?  You want to go against the good I’ve given to you all your life?  Ok, then I’ll turn up the heat!”  God loves us but He will discipline us for our own good (Job 5:17; Proverbs 13:24; 22:15; Revelation 3:19).  And the “spanking” began.  This was the start of the worst period in my entire life.  Things began to happen that caused depression, bitterness and hatred to set in.  I had become a miserable, lustful, foul-mouthed and angry young man and I found out that when God decides to spank a wayward child, you’ll know you’ve been spanked!  I don’t know what would’ve happened if God had extended this period of misery, but only by His grace did I survive it.

In desperation one day, I suddenly remembered I had a book written by a preacher collecting dust on my bookshelf.  I opened it and read for the first time about God’s plan for His people.  It was as though the author was speaking directly to me.  I began to cry like a baby in a much-needed emotional release.  At this time, God wonderfully began to change my heart and my whole situation.

Something Lacking

A short time later, my girlfriend and I got married and since we were both Catholic, we were attending a local Catholic church.  One day at work, I met a guy named Elliot, who shared the gospel with me.  He told me things from the Bible that I had never heard in the Catholic Church.  He also encouraged me to read the Bible for myself.  So, I bought one and began reading it.  This was an eye-opening experience. 

My wife and I were still going to the Catholic Church, but we both felt like it was similar to going to a restaurant with a large buffet, yet only taking a tiny taste and leaving unsatisfied.  We enjoyed the very short “homily” (sermon), but everything seemed to be swallowed up in rituals.  As time went on, we discovered that many things the Catholic Church taught were not found in Scripture and that some things actually went against what the Bible teaches.  Once again, we did not leave the Catholic Church for personal reasons, but because of what it teaches.  If you are wondering about which teachings I object to, there are many articles on this blog which will give details on different topics.  One of the most important topics with which we disagreed with Catholics was justification, i.e., how a person is saved, and the differences here are too important to ignore.

Conclusion

I want everyone to know that this blog was not produced out of bitterness or to personally attack Catholics.  Throughout the blog, I am just attempting to share what God has shown me.  Again, I have many great Catholic friends (and family) and this blog is not meant to disparage them.  Rather, I hope that this article arouses their interest and lets everyone know where I am coming from.

 

Having said that, if I am wrong about the content of all these articles, you may have nothing to lose… but if I am right, there are serious spiritual consequences for those Catholics who choose to continue to embrace the teachings of Rome.

Lastly, I want to urge everyone – Catholics, Protestants and otherwise – to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21), including the things I say, with Scripture, since it is the only God-breathed revelation for mankind today (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Sanctify them through Thy truth.  Thy word is truth. (John 17:17)

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)